What Else is New?

Late winter, early spring in Arizona means there's some event going on nearly every weekend. We've been doing so many things that I haven't had much time to blog. But here goes:

Pics from the Indian Hoop Dance Contest the weekend before last:

The Indian Hoop Dance Contest was an experience that I'm glad we got to see. Indian drums, chanting and singing, and then members of different tribes all over the US meeting at this annual competition. They dance with small hoops -- I think I've seen as many as fifteen on some of the seasoned competitors. Their agility with these hoops is incredible to watch, as they spin them around, place them on their bodies, and create stories with their dancing. They could take six or so hoops and create an eagle's wings, or take more hoops and make a ball, or a flower -- all the while stomp dancing to the drums and chanting. It was PACKED, but a gorgeous day for it. We sat on the grass and ate fry bread while we watched the dancers. Most amazing thing? The eagle serenely circling in the sky above the dancers. I have never seen an eagle in the middle of downtown Phoenix. Or anywhere else for that matter that wasn't on a hike up in the mountains. Majestic probably describes it best.


Pics from the Chinese New Year Festival at the Chinese Cultural Center:

Later that same day we hit the Chinese Cultural Center for their Chinese New Year festival. Everything from martial arts displays, to the dragon dance, to dozens of booths set up with all kinds of different foods, clothing, and toys. We shared a young coconut drink -- they split open the top of the coconut, give you a straw and a spoon and you get to drink the coconut juice and scrape the tender coconut meat off the sides when you're done.

Coming up next (as soon as I download them off my camera and upload them to Picasa) is last weekend's Renaissance Faire and a trek up to Jerome, AZ on a long Sunday drive. ;-)

Valentine's Day Present!

My Valentine's Day present came a couple of days early this year with a GORGEOUS 2008 Saturn Sky Redline in yellow!

We test drove a Pontiac Solstice and a Saturn Sky over the weekend and I decided that the Sky was for me. I test drove both stick and automatic, and much to my surprise, the automatic transmission outperformed the stick!

There was a used 2007 Saturn Sky Redline in silver that was used and a nice price compared to the showroom 2008 yellow one I was drooling on. Chuck had me talked into the silver one and the deal was set. I was trading in my 2001 Pontiac Aztek for the 2007 silver Saturn Sky.

We got to the dealership last night, and I was sad because the yellow one I kept ogling was gone. I said, "Aww, someone bought the yellow one... they moved it, where is it?" Then I noticed it'd been moved further down the showroom so I figured they were putting another car into its showroom slot. I glanced around the lot looking for the silver Sky thinking to myself, "Don't they usually put the car you're going to buy up closer? Weird, I don't see it yet."

So the dealer greets us and says, "So, are you ready to go see your car?" I grin and they say to me, "Go find it" -- cheering me on with a "You're getting warmer"... But I'm perplexed because they're walking kinda towards the yellow 2008. Not even daring to get my hopes up, I start looking past the yellow one, eyes scanning the lot for the silver one, and they both stop in front of the yellow one.

My heart stopped. I could hardly breathe, and Chuck says, "Here's your car!" The 2008 Saturn Sky Redline... in the hottest yellow you can imagine. I gave him a huge hug and had tears in my eyes -- even the dealer had tears in his eyes too. The car is incredible, I absolutely love it. Even woke up and peeked in the garage before getting ready for work this morning. :)